Taking on life, love and parenthood one stiletto clad step at a time

The birth of my first child.

28 June 2006 I was 38 weeks pregnant with my first child. I was 19 years old at that stage. Not in the very least ready for how my life was going to change. I knew I wanted this baby. But was unaware of how quickly my life will change. You can read as many books as you want but it will never truly prepare you for the day everything changed.

So here is how that day went <or more what I can remember 5 years later>

I woke up the morning and told John that today is the day that this little girl has to come out. I feel as big as a whale and if I chose to have a c-section she would have been out already. Luckily I had an early appointment at the gynae that morning so I finished packing the bags and loaded them in the car

My grandmother took me to my appointment.

When I went in the gynae did yet another scan, as always I asked him for the sex of the baby? I had to be sure of the sex; I could not handle anymore surprises. He asked me how I was doing and coping, I responded by telling him that this child needs to come out today or I will take her out myself. He gave me long stories but said he will check to see if all is ready down south and he started with the checking part, me lying knees in the air and told me I was 3 centimeters dilated. I can go home, get my bags and check in at the hospital because there are no signs of my water breaking and this will take forever and a day. Told him that I was serious about today and my bags were in the car.

I walked across the bridge connecting the 2 parts of Louis Leipoldt all the way to the 5th floor. I called John on the way and told him to get his ass to the hospital.

The wait started.

Shortly after I was checked in the nurse came and asked me a lot of questions and I had more forms to fill in.

The most important points that I wanted to get across was that I will not be breast feeding and I do not want to be asked again. I want drugs, lots of them; I want to feel as little as possible.

At about 10:00 the gynae came back and put me on drip, shortly after the father of the child I was carrying arrived with food and drink. He was not allowed any of it because I was not allowed.

I had pain, horrible pain and was only 4cm.

So things I would prefer to forget were inserted rectally.

I got a ball to bounce on. What a load of crap! the nurse came to assist me as apparently there is a correct way of doing what ever I was suppose to, but it was more comfortable and less painful doing it my way than her silly way. But seriously how the feck would hopping, rolling, sitting on damn ball help. I mean in the amount of pain I was in I wanted morphine. Then again my friend Tara did it with no meds but that is another story.

Finally at 12:00 I was 6cm dilated. The gynae came and gave me my epidural. He said that this baby will no be out before tonight so we must relax and wait it out.

Sorry dude no! I can’t eat, drink or smoke so I will not be waiting till tonight to pop this baby out.

I think Amandalynn and my body heard me.

13:00 the nurse came to do another check down south. I was 10cm dilated.

She was shocked. She called the gynae and told him to come immediately.

I was not very patient and the next 30min that we waited for him to arrive was he longest of my life.

He arrived at 13:30, did another check and my water has still not broken. He took something that looked like a plastic knitting needle and broke my water.

After that things started happening very quickly.

4 pushes and my baby girl was born.

Amandalynn Nora Coetzee came into this world on 28 June 2006 @ 13:45 weighing 3.37kg

It was the happiest proudest moment of my life.

The nurse asked me if I wanted to hold her immediately but my answer was no. I’m sorry I cannot hold her covered in fat, etc.